The Five Questions Lane Kiffin Must Answer at SEC Media Days
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Lane Kiffin's appearance at SEC Media Days on July 23 in Tampa, Fla. is going to feel like that of political appearances from presidential candidates.
Tough questions are going to come in bunches and everyone wants a chance to speak to the man that has filled up headlines since he left Ole Miss for LSU at the end of November. LSU and Ole Miss reporters will be filling the seats while anyone else with a credential will likely try to get a place in the room.
But for Kiffin, what kind of questions is he going to face? Likely some type of mixture of drama-related questions and then some that are actually based around the sport of football. Here is some of what he is going to have to answer.
Is LSU ready to win a national championship this year?
When $40 million is spent on a roster, the sense of urgency the team has slaps you in the face. So much money has been poured into LSU football this year, and it hasn't sounded in spring that Kiffin wants to wait to get LSU back to the pinnacle.
Media Days will give him the best chance to be asked directly if he expects to compete for a national championship this year. A yes is certain, but what makes it more interesting is what he will say about why the roster was constructed in such an aggressive manner.
And to try to win a championship in one-year turnaround like this, is the team ready? Kiffin will let us know.
What is Kiffin's relationship with Ole Miss coach Pete Golding?
When Kiffin left Ole Miss, defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named head coach and took the Rebels through the College Football Playoff. He has given his own account of his and Kiffin's current relationship.
"Lane hits me up every day. I get 12 text messages a day from Lane," Golding said at SEC Meetings a month ago. "We're good."
Golding sounded like he was exaggerating a bit, so Kiffin's take on their current relationship and how often they talk will be interesting to hear.
How is LSU's run game going to get fixed?
LSU was dead last in the SEC last year in rushing yards per game and tied for last in rushing touchdowns over the course of the season. Ole Miss was sixth in rushing yards per game and had the most rushing touchdowns in the SEC in 2025.
While Ole Miss had an emerging star in Kewan Lacy and a mobile quarterback, LSU has plenty of talent in the run game too. The Tigers have rebuilt their offensive line.
But just adding pieces and letting others develop can't totally save a team. Kiffin will have to give his input on the current state of the run game and how effective it should be during the season.
Is LSU Kiffin's home for life?
With how much Kiffin has raved about LSU, Baton Rouge and the fact that the university is "just different," it will be interesting to see what he has to say about his longevity at LSU.
He took the job because it was a step up from Ole Miss, but how many realistic steps up are there from LSU, especially in the age of NIL and the transfer portal?
With that in mind, it looks like Kiffin could be the LSU coach until he gives up coaching. But that's for him to answer in a few weeks.
What have been the most useful resources at LSU so far?
One of the things that makes LSU "just different" is the resources available in the athletics department, particularly in football.
Resources can be anything from an NIL fund and donors to recovery equipment for athletes and recruiting resources. LSU's locker room and football operations building is state-of-the-art, but what has been the most useful for Kiffin in his few months as LSU coach?
It will be fun to hear his take on this.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as The Five Questions Lane Kiffin Must Answer at SEC Media Days.
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